Little man can carry big load

As a senior at Kansas State, Darren Sproles averaged 20 carries per game and rushed for 1,318 yards. He carried the load throughout his college career and knew that he could do so in the NFL if given the chance.

Last week against Detroit, Sproles carried a career-high 25 times and for 122 yards. It was no surprise to him, but Sproles smiled when asked if the performance possibly silenced critics who thought his 5-6, 181-pound frame couldn’t handle the beating that would come with such prolonged action.
“Some people thought I could just do my third-down stuff and be a return guy,” Sproles said. “It was fun to get back there and run it like that. I knew I could do it.”

Should the Chargers have another opportunity to spell LaDainian Tomlinson Monday night like they did last week against Detroit, Sproles and Michael Turner will share the remaining carries.

Like Sproles, Chargers Head Coach Norv Turner wasn’t surprised with what the third-year back displayed last week.

“I think we know what he’s had,” Norv Turner said. “He’s done those things in preseason games and on special teams stuff. The fact that he got to do it with 25 carries, that was impressive.”

Throughout his life, Sproles has let his play on the field drown out those who might doubt his physical prowess. He was pleased with how his second half against the Lions once again erased some doubts.

“It’s another thing where I have to overcome the size thing,” Sproles said. “That’s not new. I’m okay with it. I had a lot of fun Sunday and would love a chance to do it again.”

Rivers and Billy Volek split practice reps again Friday like they have the last two weeks. Merriman told reporters Thursday that he hopes to play Monday, which came as no surprise to his head coach.

“That’s what he does, he plays football,” Turner said. “If he’s ready to go and the doctors and trainers feel like he’s not putting himself at any risk, it would be good for him to get to play.”

Turner didn’t seem as optimistic about Castillo’s chances to play this week.

“It would be great for him to get some work, but we’ll see how he makes it through,” Turner said. “He’s had two practices and was limited (in both). We’ll see how he does tomorrow.”

Hot seller

According to a report in Monday’s Sports Business Daily, Tomlinson leads the league in jersey sales for 2007. Reggie Bush currently ranks second, followed by Brian Urlacher, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre.

Still growing

The more time Rivers and wide receiver Chris Chambers have to work together, the more comfortable they seem to be with each other. Chambers led the Chargers with four catches for 69 yards last week despite only playing just over two quarters.

Chambers is just 150 yards shy of his second career 1,000-yard season. He has eight catches for 159 yards in the Bolts last two games. The Chargers are 6-2 since he joined the team. In eight games with the Bolts, Chambers is averaging 15.5 yards per catch. He’s caught 28 passes in his eight games with the Chargers.

Another milestone

Tight end Antonio Gates needs one touchdown catch to get to 10 for the season. It would be the third 10-touchdown season of his career, making him the first tight end in NFL history (according to Stats, Inc.) with three seasons of 10-or-more TD catches. Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Wesley Walls are currently the only TEs in NFL history with two 10-TD seasons.

Chambers is just 150 yards shy of his second career 1,000-yard season. He has eight catches for 159 yards in the Bolts last two games. The Chargers are 6-2 since he joined the team. In eight games with the Bolts, Chambers is averaging 15.5 yards per catch. He’s caught 28 passes in his eight games with the Chargers.

Another milestone

Tight end Antonio Gates needs one touchdown catch to get to 10 for the season. It would be the third 10-touchdown season of his career, making him the first tight end in NFL history (according to Stats, Inc.) with three seasons of 10-or-more TD catches. Gates, Tony Gonzalez and Wesley Walls are currently the only TEs in NFL history with two 10-TD seasons.

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I'm pulling hard for both these guys. Chambers has been awesome and even though it's really just an arbitrary number I would love for him to get 1K yards this year. Chambers is probably the most appreciative guy on our squad right now.

And I love Gates and want his name all over the record books. Get him in the house!!!!

This is a fiddle faddle post [:lol:] but that reminds me of a story about a good friend of mine.

He's even shorter than Sproles and was a really good soccer player. When he was in high school, the football coach came over and poached a couple players from the soccer team.

The coach initially asked him to be a kicker, but after seeing him run during conditioning drills, he asked him if he thought he could carry the ball. My friend was not a football guy at all and barely knew what was involved, but he agreed to try.

For their first game, the team was supposed to be sacrificial lambs to a team that was a perennial CIF powerhouse. It was a home game and the other team got off the bus already in pads - making these overfed, oversized kids look even bigger. My friend said he and his teammates were ******** themselves.

Gametime comes and on his team's first possession, first play, they give the ball to him and he gets a block, sees a hole, puts mega-yardage behind him and scores a touchdown! He's psyched, the team is psyched. They keep giving him the ball and by halftime he's got, like, five touchdowns! He's also never played football before so he's shocked that he's getting beat up under the pile when he's tackled, but he loses it and complains to the ref when somebody goes after his balls. :lol: Anyway, the best part of the story was when he'd just run for long yards again and while everybody is going back to the line of scrimmage, one of the guys on the other team yells at his teammates, "****! Don't let that fukin' midget get by us again!" :lol:

I can just imagine the Lions saying that when Sproles is breaking tackles on the way down the field again and again. :lol:

This is a fiddle faddle post [:lol:] but that reminds me of a story about a good friend of mine.

He's even shorter than Sproles and was a really good soccer player. When he was in high school, the football coach came over and poached a couple players from the soccer team.

The coach initially asked him to be a kicker, but after seeing him run during conditioning drills, he asked him if he thought he could carry the ball. My friend was not a football guy at all and barely knew what was involved, but he agreed to try.

For their first game, the team was supposed to be sacrificial lambs to a team that was a perennial CIF powerhouse. It was a home game and the other team got off the bus already in pads - making these overfed, oversized kids look even bigger. My friend said he and his teammates were ******** themselves.

Gametime comes and on his team's first possession, first play, they give the ball to him and he gets a block, sees a hole, puts mega-yardage behind him and scores a touchdown! He's psyched, the team is psyched. They keep giving him the ball and by halftime he's got, like, five touchdowns! He's also never played football before so he's shocked that he's getting beat up under the pile when he's tackled, but he loses it and complains to the ref when somebody goes after his balls. :lol: Anyway, the best part of the story was when he'd just run for long yards again and while everybody is going back to the line of scrimmage, one of the guys on the other team yells at his teammates, "****! Don't let that fukin' midget get by us again!" :lol:

I can just imagine the Lions saying that when Sproles is breaking tackles on the way down the field again and again. :lol:

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Very cool story, Chippie. I can tell that you're a Mighty Mouse fan, too.